Washing apparatus



July 26, 1938. l c. scHMlD WASHING A15PAR1-.TLJSA 2 SeetS-Sheet l Fi'ledwApril 24, 1954 Inventor.

C. SCHMD WASHING APPARATUS July 26, 1938.

2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed April 24, 19,54

,4 T TOR N5 y Patented July 26, 1938 l l I i l UNITED STATES PATENT -oFFlcE WASHING APPARATUS Carl Schmid, Berlin-Charlottenburg, Germany, assigner to Anthony William Deller, New York, N. Y.

l Application April 24, 1934, Serial No. 722,111'

' In Germany April 26, 1933 2 Claims. (Cl. 68-124) My invention relates to a washing device of the is vtensioned during th'e first movement. In this kind in which a self-contained apparatus of recase the apparatus can be manufactured in a, latively small dimensions `is freely put in the simple form and with but slight weight, for the vessel -or tub containing both the clothes and the Cylinder can be made f an Ordinary tube and the 5 Washing liquid and is actuated by a fluid under distribution of the uid under pressure can be 5 pressure, preferably by the pressure water of the effected by only one valve, this valve consisting house supply, to produce a fluctuation of this preferably also of a simple tubular Dart fitted liquid. 'I'his fluctuation maybe caused by agitat- Within the tube forming the Cylinder. Ori acl ing plates advantageously in the form of bells or count of the tensioning 0f the Spring added to l0 cups-.one put on top of the other-that are the resistance through the washing liquid, one l0 moved to approachy to and recede from one an- 0f the two piston-Strokes would be limited in other thus drawing in the washing liquid and speed and would thus. be uneiected by too high driving it out alternatively. One of these cups a Pressure-HHS Stroke bei-ng leSS essential for may be attached to a cylinder and the other to the washing DYOCeSS-Whereas the other stroke y` l5 a piston sliding in this cylinder and-may be WOllld Only Oe-dependent on the spring power, 15

moved by the pressure of water orY some other the4 releasing of .the spring always producing a fluid. movement of constant speed but with a decidedv In a known apparatus of this' type the fluid jerk Very useful fOl the Washing process. To

under pressure is alternately directed to both ensure Safe Operation Of the apparatus I DrOvide sides of the piston as in a double-acting motor a snap action device for shifting the valve ac'- 20 and the distribution of the fiuid is accomplished tuated by the piston before the end of each stroke by means of a valve device reversed by the conand this snap action device is set to work in a tact of the piston when it reaches the end of its Well-chosen point of the piston stroke, a loststroke. I'have found that suchan apparatus motion device ensuring the action of the snap has a number of shortcomings. If the uid unaction device being executed at the right' 25 der. pressure acts on both sides of the piston, moment. channels leading to both ends of the cylinder v In the drawings, in which a preferred embodiand adistribution device arranged exteriorly or ment of the invention is shown by way of eX- a separate valve device for each' end of the ample, cylindermust be applied, this arrangement caus- Fig. 1 illustrates a vertical sectional View of -a 30 ing the mechanism to become vcomplicated and Washing apparatus embodying the principles of too heavy for its being able to rest somewhat the present invention; l oatingly upon the clothes. Moreover, the pres- Fig. 2 depicts a vertical sectional view of. the sure of the house Water supply may considerably upper portion of the apparatus, taken at righty vary according to the height of the place where angles tothe first and on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; 35 the water is discharged from and if there is n0 Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the agitating other resistance against the movement of the members; and piston than that afforded by the agitation of the Fig, 4 shows the apparatus embodying the im washing liquid, the Same apparatus may be acvention in the water with the articles -to be tuated much too slowly in one case and much washed, l 40 too fast in another as to give apractical result. The Washing apparatus according to the in- Furthermore, the reversing 0f the motion by 00nvention comprises a `cylinder l in the interior tact at the end 0f the DiS/t0n Stroke iS diSadof which are arranged a piston 2 and a distributvantageous, fOr it Causes uncertainty in the 013-' ing sleeve or slide valve 3,' both parts joined toeration; if accidentally the two bells are hindered gether by a connecting-rod 4. This rod 4 is not 45 from completely approaching one another-for tightly fastened to the piston 2 but connected instance, by any part Aof the clothes getting to it by a lost-motion device in such a manner caught between them-Lthe reversingcannot take that it is only pushed up and down in the last place and the mechanism will immediately cease part of each piston stroke. The rod 4 is conworking. v nected to the sleeve 3 by a snap action device 50 It is the object vof my invention to eliminate forcing the latter to suddenly shift its position, all these shortcomings. This object is attained for example (as shown) by a pair of springs 5 by only oneof the to and fro movements being in such a Way that their angular position is realized by the action of the fluid under presreversed at each stroke of the piston, the comsure, the other being performed by a spring that ponent of the spring tension acting in the dider DIeSSIlI'e.

'ing through the ports I3 into the tube II where- Inreversing.

rection of the axis causing the changing of the effective position of the sleeve 3. In the lower part ofthe cylinder I there is a coiled spring 6 acting on the underside of the piston; this spring is pressed together when the piston moves downwards and is released back to its original position after the compression stroke has been performed. The piston12 is secured to a piston rod 1 the upper part 'I' of which being hollow and embracing the enlarged lower end of the rod 4 with a considerable axial slip thus forming the above mentioned lost-motion device. At the other end .the piston rod 'I is fastened to a plate 9 in form of a bell or an inverted cup, this cup 9 participating in the motion ofthe piston and moving to and fro relatively to the cup 8. This cup 8 is similar in form to the other and preferably at a short distancefrom it and may be integral with the casing 8 surrounding the cylinder andthe reciprocating parts of the device. It will be noted that both cups or agitating members 8 and 9 lhave a conical upper portion and a substantially vertically depending cylindrical lower portion.M At one side of casing 8' there are arranged ,two tubular parts I and II for the connection of hoses IIa and IIa. serving for the introduction and discharge of the .duid un- The part I0 is in communication with the interior of the cylinder I by portsAIZ and the part II also with the interior ofthe cylinder by ports I3. The casing 8 is connected with the cylinder I by partitions I4r and I4a.I soldered or welded or secured thereto in some other .appropriate manner and dividing the space between the'se walls in such a manner that only the communication mentioned above is possible.

The sleeve of slide valve 3 is so arranged in the upper part of the cylinder that it alternately shuts ports I2 and I3. The movement of this valve is limited, upwards by the top plate of the cylinder and downwards Aby a The connecting-rod 4 is joined to the inner ends of the springs 5 by means of a pin I1 slidable in slot I6a of a fork I6 secured to the top plate of the cylinder, the outer vends of the springs beingattached to the inner surface of the sleeve in a suitable manner.

The drawings show the mechanism when the spring 6 of the piston is released, the piston moving upwards and the fluid under pressure escapas the ports I2 are closed. The position of the movable parts represented in Fig. 1 corresponds to the moment in the ascending stroke of the piston when the piston has approached'its uppermost position so far that it is just touching the rod 4 and begins to push it upwards till the end of its stroke. This upward movement is also transmitted to the pin I'I so that the springs in being compressed pass their dead-center posiltion and suddenly turn in a .reversed angular,

position contrary to that shown in the drawings. the Springs 5 exercise a downward push to the 'sleeve 3 thereby shifting it into its lower position till it reaches thestop I5. 'I'he ports I2 are now uncovered and the ports I3 are shut. The fluid under pressure entering by the tubular part I8 is now acting on the piston 2 thereby causing its downward stroke. When a certain 'part of the Way is accomplished the piston gets in touch with the rod 4 and carries it on together with the pin I1, thus bending the springs downwards into the angular position shown in the drawings. springs produce a push acting in an upward div thereof.

stopping ange I5.

In this position thev rection and replacing the sleeve 3 in the position represented in Fig. 1. l

It will be noted that'in practical operation the washing apparatus is placed into a. tub I8 containing a washing liquid I9 and the articles to` cross section of which remains substantially constant during the reciprocation of the agitating members. uid motor employed in the apparatus of the invention that the downward movement of the piston will be gradual as the upper cylinder space is filled up with the iluid under pressure. Therefore, the distance between the agitating members will be gradually increased and will be filled up with washing liquid drawn in as by a pump. At-

the same time return spring Ii will be completely compressed. After the piston has reached its lowermost position, slide valve 3 will be reversed in a trigger-like manner and the fluid under Ipressure will be shut oi. As the pressure on the upper surface of the piston will be suddenly re-i moved, piston 2-will be almost instantaneously returned to its uppermost position by return spring 6. Agitating members 8 and 9 will be pressed together at a high speed and will forcibly eject the liquid contained in the space between the upper portions of the agitating members through the constricted annular space 22 between the vertically depending lower portions Thus, the Washing liquid will be ejected at a very high velocity' and pressure and will set up powerful and hig'h speed pulsations in the liquid which will readily loosen the particles of dirt adhering to the articles to be washed.

What I claim is:

1. In a washing machine adapted to be placed into a tub containing' articles to be washed and a body of a liquid washing medium, the combination comprising a pair of concentrically mounted cup-like agitating members 'each having a sub? stantially conical upper portion and a substanproximity to`each other, a cylinder rigidly connected to one of said agitating members, a pis- It follows from the structure of the ton reciprocably arranged ingan intermediate region of said cylinder connected to the other of said agitating members, intake and exhaust ports for an actuating iiuid in said cylinder at one side of said piston, a return spring within said cylinder and engaging the other side of said piston for quicklyvreturning the same into its original position of rest after each stroke, a slide valve in the upper portion of said' cylinder operatively associated withlsaid intake and exhaust vports and capable of alternately' opening and closing same, snap action means within said slide valve adapted to be actuated to snap said valve over into its other extreme position, 'and lost motion actuating means for said valve connecting the same to said piston to cause triggerlike operation of said valve and reciprocation of said piston including a relatively slow downward displacement and an extremely fast and impactlike upward displacement, said cup-like agitatto slowly draw in and to quickly and forciblyv 'n ciated with the opposite side of said piston lfor eject washing liquid from the space formed be- Y tween said agitating members and having a substantially constant constriction between their vertically depending portions whereby powerful -and vhigh speed pulsations will be set up in said i liquid and will readily loosen particles of dirt adhering to the articles to be washed.

2. In a washing machine'adapted to be place vinto a tub containing articles to be Washed and a body of aliquid Washinglmediumhe combination comprising a pair of concentric'ally` mounted cup-like agitating members each having a substantially-'conical upper portion and a substantially vertically depending lower portion closely conforming and arranged in close proximity to each other', a cylinder connected to one 'of said agitating members, a piston reciprocably arranged atA an intermediate region of said cylinder connected to the other of said agitating members, intake and exhaust ports for an operating fluid in said cylinder located at one side of said piston, a return spring assoqulckly returning the same into its original `po sition of rest after each stroke, a snap action slide valve cooperating with said ports to conward displacement, said cup-like agitating members being constructed and arranged to` operate as a pump to slowly draw in and to quickly and forcibly eject washing liquid from the space formed between said agitating members and 'having a substantially constant constriction between their vertically depending portions whereby powerful and high speed pulsations will be set up in said liquid and will readily loosen particles 20 of dirt adhering to the articles to be Washed. CARL SCHMID. 

